As Iran and Houthis tighten screws on Saudi Arabia, potential role emerges for Israel

Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, was targeted with a ballistic missile by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saturday. According to the Saudi-led coalition, air defenses intercepted and destroyed the missile before it reached its target. The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, also claimed responsibility for strikes on "sensitive" sites in Riyadh and on Aramco facilities in the coastal city of Yanbu, as reported by Middle East Eye.

The attack is the first targeting of Riyadh since the escalation in fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. The growing conflict has brought new pressures for markets, particularly near important global shipping corridors, as noted by PBS NewsHour. The Saudi-led coalition reserves the right to take "appropriate measures" against the Houthis under international humanitarian law.

Saudi Arabia's existing military alliances have offered little protection against the Houthi attacks, and the country is now seeking new security partners. According to The Times of Israel, Riyadh's previous engagement with Tehran has also been unsuccessful in preventing the attacks. The Houthi rebels have been escalating their efforts to target civilians and civilian infrastructure, as accused by the coalition spokesperson, Major General Turki al-Maliki.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Times of Israel, CBC News, PBS NewsHour, Middle East Eye, Winnipeg Free Press — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.